PREVIEW: Relief – An Important Jazz Album for a Great Cause Arts Music by Brian Bix - November 5, 2021November 6, 2021 Album art for the Relief jazz album dropping November 12. A unique jazz album is about to be released: Relief, a compilation of previously unreleased music, is an unusual joint product of many of the best-known jazz labels: Blue Note Records, Verve Label Group, Warner Music Group, Nonesuch Records, Mack Avenue Music
REVIEW: The Charles Lloyd Quartet’s Saxophone Colossus (Dakota Jazz Club) Arts Music by Brian Bix - November 3, 2021November 3, 2021 Clock-wise from upper left: saxophonist Charles Lloyd, pianist Gerald Clayton, bassist Harish Raghavan, and drummer Eric Harland. The foursome comprise the Charles Lloyd Quartet, returning the Dakota Jazz Club this evening for the second half of a 4-show set. Original photos by D Darr and Devin DeHaven. Charles Lloyd – the 83-year-old
REVIEW: Jimmie Vaughan, Blues Advocate (Dakota Jazz Club) Arts Music by Brian Bix - October 27, 2021October 27, 2021 A promotional photo of Jimmie Vaughan, who played a sold-out show at the Dakota Jazz Club in Minneapolis on Tuesday evening. Jimmie Vaughan’s website proclaims that “he's dedicated his life to making sure the blues not only stays alive, but remains full of life and an inspiration to all who listen.”
PREVIEW: The Return of the Incantare Exiles (Beth El Synagogue) Arts Music by Basil Considine - October 25, 2021October 25, 2021 The early music ensemble Incantare performs on November 11 at Beth El Synagogue in St. Louis Park, MN. In retrospect, "EXILE" was a little too ironic a name for a concert scheduled for the second half of 2020. The early music group Incantare – one of the standout ensembles at the
REVIEW: The Return of Nachito Herrera with the Wayzata Symphony Orchestra Arts Music by Brian Bix - October 11, 2021October 12, 2021 Cuban pianist Nachito Herrera at the piano. Photo by Sheilxa Ryan Photography. When I told a friend that Ignacio “Nachito” Herrera’s performance with the Wayzata Symphony Orchestra at Orchestra Hall would feature Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2, my friend was surprised. She knew that Herrera was one of the area’s foremost
REVIEW: A Stations of the Heart Time Capsule (Nautilus Music-Theater) Arts Music Theatre by Basil Considine - October 9, 2021October 14, 2021 The set of Stations of the Heart, now playing at the Northern Warehouse in Lowertown St. Paul. Photo courtesy of Nautilus Music-Theater. After an extended, mostly quiet pandemic hiatus, Nautilus Music-Theater returned to in-person art-making last week with Stations of the Heart, a musical theatre song cycle of sorts by composer
BREAKING NEWS: Brand New Minneapolis School of New Music Abruptly Closes Arts Music by Amy Donahue - October 6, 2021October 7, 2021 A message from Minneapolis School of New Music founder Bart Johnson on the school's closure. The Minneapolis School of New Music has closed. The charter school, which opened its doors this fall, promised middle school children a tuition-free, music-immersive curriculum. Founder Bart Johnson cited the resignations of 2 of the school'
REVIEW: The Frozen Tornado Lands (Orpheum/Hennepin Theatre Trust) Arts Dance Music Theatre by Basil Considine - October 5, 2021October 6, 2021 Caroline Bowman stars as Princess Elsa in the North American tour of the musical Frozen, now playing through October 20 at the Orpheum Theatre in Minneapolis. Photo by Deen van Meer. The national tour of Frozen landed at the Orpheum Theatre in Minneapolis last week. This stage adaptation of the Disney
NEWS: Beloved Arts Reporter Passes Away Arts Dance Music Opera Theatre Visual Arts by Twin Cities Arts Reader - September 27, 2021September 27, 2021 Pamela Espeland, a beloved arts reporter and fixture of Twin Cities journalism, passed away on Sunday, September 26. Her weekly Artscape column for MinnPost was a regular centerpiece of arts coverage.A multi-talented author and editor, Pamela was a graduate of Carleton College in Northfield, MN. As a copywriter, she worked
INTERVIEW: Caroline Bowman and Austin Colby on Playing Frozen Royalty and Returning to the Stage Arts Dance Music Theatre by Basil Considine - September 24, 2021September 24, 2021 Caroline Bowman stars as Princess Elsa in the North American tour of the musical Frozen, which opens September 30 at the Orpheum Theatre in Minneapolis, MN. Photo by Deen van Meer. On January 28, 2014, a bitter cold wind blew down Hennepin Avenue. For the last few days, a winter storm